The Nation Newspaper

Tag: counselling

  • Institute canvasses counselling on social vices

    With the spate of rape, suicide, drug abuses and corruption in the country, the Institute of Counselling in Nigeria has called on the government, individuals and corporate bodies to hire professional counsellors and psychotherapists to stem the menace.

    Its Provost,  Dr Tolulope Oko-Igaire and other stakeholders stated this at the unveiling of the institute in Lagos.

    Reeling out statistics, she said  in 2017, 10,000 girls were sexually assaulted, raped daily in Nigeria.’ She noted that  marital separation rates last year increased by 14 per cent, adding that one in seven persons aged 15-64  had used a drug (other than tobacco and alcohol) in the past years. “Nigerians used to be termed the happiest people on earth, but we are ranked 85th in the world,” she added.

    Emphasising the need to seek professionals, Tolulope said: ‘’It can no longer be business as usual. We can’t keep mounting pressures on our spiritual leaders as if they are superhuman. Your pastor is not a sex therapist, your Alfa is not a trained grief and bereavement counsellor, your Mother in Israel is not an addiction counselor, neither is your spiritual father a child and adolescent counsellor.”

    She stated that the institute was established to address counselling-related issues as they affect individuals and corporate organisations. “Institute of Counselling was carefully created after noticing these massive vacuum in our society. Every individual wanting to go through the journey of self-discovery needs the institute, companies that need to get the best from their employees need the institute (HR has gone beyond the old norm), churches that want happy and productive members needs the institute and educational organisation that really want to thrive cannot do without the institute. The government, organisations,  parastatals and institutions need the institute to achieve the dream of a greater society,” she explained.

    According to her, people don’t need to go aboard to study counseling and psychotherapy because they can do so in the country. “Every individual passionate about humanity can  take a breath of fresh air, as they no longer have to travel overseas to get certified in specialised fields of counselling and psychotherapy,” she explained.

    Furthermore, she stated that counselling is the new generational skill for optimal performance and a fulfilling destiny, urging  both the private sector and government to support the institute, pointing that schools, hospitals, prisons, religious centres and others needs it more than ever.

    Advisory Board Representative, Lekan Ajisafe said: ‘’A closer look at our society will reveal to you that a lot of Nigerians are suffering from various forms of mental and emotional problems and most of them are not even aware of it because the government and citizens are doing close to nothing to educate the public and proffer reasonable solutions to all these social anomalies.

    ‘’From the problems of abuse to that of addiction; from bad parenting to domestic violence; from corruption to power abuse; from pedophilia to rape; from depression to suicide; no one needs to be told that something is wrong with our society and we need therapeutic interventions now than ever before.”

    Former President of the institute, Ibironke Banjoke Olukoga, urged the government and private sector to work with the institute to solve issues that need counselling to build a better society.

  • Agency takes HIV/AIDS counselling, testing to grassroots

    The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) has screened some residents of Dopemu and Capitol Road in Agege, a suburb of Lagos.

    The agency said the exercise is to help residents know their HIV status.

    LSACA’s Director, Dr Oluseyi Temowo, represented by the Principal Health Educator, Mrs Olusola Adebambo during the HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) Community Outreach, said the state has 654 HIV Counselling and Testing sites, 47 anti-retroviral treatment (ART) and 342 Prevention of Mother-to–Child Transmission (PMTCT) sites providing HIV services.

    He said the government was on top of HIV prevention, stressing that it was partnering with stateholders in the private sector, especially non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and faith-based organisations, among others, to reduce the disease in the state.

    He described the turnout of residents as impressive, adding that people who missed the opportunity can still have the tests at the designated centres in Agege.

    Head of Dopemu community, Alhaji Shuaib Afogunlowo, said the exercise has enabled many of the residents to know their HIV status.

    “This is necessary because people are just going about without knowing their HIV status. The testing, however, has helped many people clear all doubts about their status. Anybody who tests positive can also receive treatment. HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence,” he said.

    Afogunlowo advised people not to run from taking the test because it is for their good. “I was also tested and it was negative,” he said.

    He thanked Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for making the testing and counselling possible.

    Chairman, World Health Organistion (WHO) Committee on Dopemu Primary Health Care (PHC), Mr Johnson Oguntan, said the benefits of the programme to the area were immense because HIV is a dreaded disease, and as such needs timely intervention.

    “It is an opportunity that we must not allow to pass us by. This is why I also submitted myself to the test,” Oguntan said.

    The community, he said, had sensitised the people through letters written to various religious groups, especially churches and mosques, among others so that people can come for the test.

  • Medical students advocate proper counselling

    Medical students advocate proper counselling

    There is a need for proper guidance and counseling in higher institutions.

    The advice was given by medical students of the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during the presentation of a research report conducted on students of the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH) in Igboora.

    The research was part of the community and primary healthcare programme organised by the medical students in Ibarapa.

    Presenting the report on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and Sexual Risk Behavior (SRB) among students, Michael Dike, a 600-Level student, said ACE could lead to risky sexual behaviour.

    He said the condition could come with traumatic moments that could have negative effects on health and wellbeing. The condition, he said, could be experienced before the age 18.

    According to him, the ACE effects include physical and emotional abuse, feeling of neglect and household dysfunction.

    Proffering solutions to the condition, the medical students recommended proper guidance and counseling in schools. They said there was need for teacher-student relationship to engender mentorship and solve students’ curiosities.

    They also advocated for a forum, where students could be enlightened on sex education and peer pressure. They said efforts should be made by school managements to ensure recreational activities as part of the curriculum.

    Receiving the report on behalf of the management, the Provost, Prof Gbemiga Adewale, praised the medical students and their coordinators for choosing the college for the study. He pledged the management’s commitment to the implementation of the report. The provost said a committee would be set up to look into the report to fast-track its implementation.

     

  • ‘LSACA is increasing HIV testing, counselling’

    The Lagos State AIDS Control Agency (LSACA) has scaled up HIV counseling and testing in the state.

    Its Acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Olusegun Ogboye said his agency had a meeting with the technical work group and Inter Local Action Committee on AIDS (ILACA) to re-strategise on how to make people know their status.

    Ogboye, who underscored the importance of the meeting as a pivot to increasing HIV counseling and testing in Lagos State, said LSACA has conducted outreach programmes in Oshodi and Ejigbo Local Government Areas.

    This, he said, was done in partnership with the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) SURE-P Project.

    The agency, he said, also participated in NACA organised stakeholders’ meeting to engage private facilities to scale up the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT).

    He enjoined workers to know their status by going for HIV Counseling and testing because a healthy workforce will increase the productivity of the state.

    The CEO said HIV positive people could be symptom free for 10 years, and as such, infect other people if not checked and treated.

    This, he said, was the reason behind his agency’s meeting with the technical work group (TWG) and advisory and implementation team.

    The outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), he said, affected the publicity and enlightenment campaign on HIV/AIDS prevention, hence the need to scale up HIV counseling and testing (HCT).

  • Fenerbahce counselling for Emenike

    Fenerbahce counselling for Emenike

    According to reports in  Turkey, Fenerbahce coach Ismail  Kartal is bothered by Emmanuel Emenike’s poor form in front of goal plus his relationship with fans, and he is planning to have a tête-à-tête with the striker.

    Fanatik has reported that the manager will recommend psychological support to the Nigeria international as a last resort if he does not notice changes as regards his conduct on and off the pitch.

    The 27-year-old, who has netted only four times this season, is hoping to redeem his image on Sunday in the clash against Galatasaray in the Super Lig.

    But the odds are stacked against him as he has never scored in four previous appearances against their Istanbul rivals.

    Last season, Emenike smashed 15 goals in the league for both Fenerbahce and Spartak Moscow.

     

  • Counselling ‘can solve Maths failure’

    THE Women in Technical Education and Development (WITED), has recommended counselling to address pupils’ phobia for mathematics.

    The group also suggested enlightenment campaigns in allaying the fear of the subject and sciences.

    Its President, Mrs. Osiki Francis, told reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at the association’s national coordinating committee (NCC) meeting, that there is no reason to fear the subjects.

    “Fear already defeats the individual even before he confronts the problem. That is why self defeatist attitude should be addressed through counseling. We need public enlightenment campaigns. Information is key to allaying fear of mathematics and sciences,” she said.

    WITED’s call follows mass failure in mathematics in the West African Senior Schoor Certificate Examination released by West African Examination Council (WAEC) last week.

    On the challenges facing women taking up mathematics and technical education courses, Francis said: “The challenges varied. It could be socio-cultural. There are some places where women are to be seen and not heard. They just have to be in the kitchen, but that concept is changing. Although, fundamentally, our place is in the kitchen; another is religious factor and so on.”

    WITED, she said, was borne out of the desire to encourage girl child, who have the God-given flair to appreciate mathematics, science and technical courses.

    Said she: “For meaningful national development, the female folks that constitute about half of the population of Nigeria should not be left behind.

    “Government can encourage girl child to take up mathematics and technical courses by giving scholarships and awards to those excelling in these subjects. Besides, science laboratories should be well equipped, science and mathematics teachers should also be encouraged, because when they are happy they will be at their best in their works and the students will do well.

    “Parents’ roles cannot be overemphasised. They are the starting point of the life of the child. Parents should be enlightened as they have the right attitude to the girl child in pursing these subject areas.

    “Women, who have the ability, are being encouraged to come on board. There should be no force, no coercion. It is those that fit into the programme that are encouraged to come on board.

    “Our approach is to go to the primary and secondary schools to sensitise the girl child that she should have no phobia for courses such as mathematics, sciences and engineering. The grassroot is our first target, from there we will move to the traditional rulers, who are the custodians of culture, to pass the message to their subjects and allay fears of mathematics and technical subjects.”

  • Turning counselling into successful business

    Turning counselling into successful business

    Well spoken and groomed in her chosen career, Chioma Isiadinso, a former member of the Admissions Board of Harvard Business  School, United States, is a trained counsellor, with a deep understanding of students’ behavioural traits. She has converted her years of experience on the job to an entrepreneurial venture. Daniel Essiet  tells the story of this amazing Nigerian. 

    The dream of all parents is to get the best education for their children.

    However, for some inexplicable reasons, some students cannot figure out what to do to get admitted to the school of their dream. This problem could stand between them and the education their parents desperately desire to get for them.

    This is the knotty problem Mrs. Chioma Isiadinso, former assistant director of admissions and a member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School has taken upon herself to resolve for the teeming number of students from various countries.

    This resulted in the establishment of Expartus® a global admissions consulting and personal branding company that helps applicants gain admission to elite colleges, graduate schools and executive programmes all over the world. with the growing number of Nigerians going abroad for tertiary eductaion, alot of them fall prey to sacmmers posing as agents capable of facilitatingb their admission into elite schools abroad. While some are outrightly swindled, yet some few lucky ones get admitted into mushroom schools abroad, far below their expectations. This is where Isiadinso’s experience comes in handy.

    Her company brings together a unique team of admissions experts to provide clients with insight ful and knowledge of the entire admissions process. Asked why she chose to be an entrepreneur, she said she wanted to be in control of her time.

    “I had just left my post in Harvard Business School’s admissions office to move to New York with my family, and I took a few months off to think about what I wanted to do. I realised that I loved the admissions work, but that I wanted to work for myself, control my time and be the one driving my future.”

    Mrs Isiadinso started the company in 2002, and by the following year, there was a need for expnsion having reached her maximum capacity; this necessitated an expansion.

    “I had reached capacity, and did not want to compromise the quality of service that my clients would receive,” she told The Nation. In 2003, she added a first consultant, who is still with the company to date, followed by two additional people later in the year- there are seven consultants and advisors in the firm.

    “We were very careful and selective in our hiring, to ensure that we brought on people who fit well into our values and were committed to our clients’ success,” Isiadinso explained.

    How was it at the beginning?, Mrs Isiadinso said she started it as a virtual business from day one, so that there were no geographical limitations.

    “We work face to face with clients in Nigeria and mostly over phone and Skype for clients around the world, so it did not require significant upfront investment in the early days,”she said.

    She did not have outside funding. She had been approached a few times by angel investors but turned down funding because it was considered that the time was not right to do so. For her, the consulting process is definitely her biggest revenue stream. Many clients come to us for two or three years, to receive our comprehensive and transformational service.

    The business is thriving but should we decide to expand more aggressively we would consider outside funding from investors.

    When she decided to quit she faced some challenges. “The biggest challenge was putting everything in place to start the business and making sure that I established the right brand in the marketplace and was clear about which part of the market that I was targeting. This business does not require a lot of startup capital- it is more about intellectual capital and experience capital. My work experience with Harvard was helpful in entering the marketplace, as that school has one of the most powerful brands in the industry. So, our biggest challenge was getting the infrastructure in place and creating the exact brand that we wanted., she said.

    She continued: “With any business, she said it was important to make sure she tapped into the right network. We were fortunate to have a very strong network and we became very busy right away. It was a good problem to have, but I was the only one doing the consulting at the time, so there was a capacity issue. Once I reached a certain number of clients, I could not take any more and I realised that I needed to expand, find like-minded people and train them to represent my firm at the same level, if not better, than myself.”

    On where she draws her inspiration from, she said: “My husband gives me the inspiration. He is an entrepreneur and has started three businesses on his own. He is always looking for new ideas and provided me with a lot of support. I was also inspired by stories of my late grandparents, who were serial entrepreneurs in northern Nigeria, and used their businesses to impact a lot of lives. Both of my parents were academics, but hearing the legendary stories of my grandmother, who pioneered wholesale clothing in her area, and spending time with her as a child, was always something that inspired me.”

  • Etisalat workers train Lagos pupils on counselling

    Etisalat workers train Lagos pupils on counselling

    Pupils from select public secondary schools in Lagos have benefited from a career counselling programme organised by Etisalat Nigeria.

    The event, the eighth to be organised by the company, was held in partnership with the Lagos Empowerment and Resource Network (LEARN).

    Over 500 pupils from Ogba Junior Grammar School, Oke-Ira Junior and Senior Grammar Schools, Ojodu Junior High School, Babs Fafunwa Millennium Senior Secondary School, Omole Junior and Senior Grammar Schools and State High School, Ikeja learnt various career choices, creatively delivered by workers of Etisalat.

    A financial analyst Akinjide Obanewa, explained the rudiments of the accounting profession; Bankole Alao, Etisalat’s Manager, Data Marketing spoke on marketing technology while the sessions were rounded-off by a presentation on the attributes and duties of a Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) professional.

    Representing the Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Steven Evans, Director of Legal Services, Adeolu Idowu, said the event enabled Etisalat employees to fulfil a desire to give back to society by volunteering time and their skills in providing career counselling and mentorship to the pupils.

    “Career counselling scheme brings a great feeling for us at Etisalat because it enables us to demonstrate our passion for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), through both internal and external platforms. We are aware that students need appropriate direction to make compatible and fulfilling career choices, because a wrong career move may have some serious negative long-term effects,” she said.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Duties, Dolapo Biodun, praised Etisalat for its impact on the students’ knowledge bank, future contributions to society and self-development.

    Addressing the pupils, LEARN Executive Director, Mrs Bisi Awoyomi, encouraged the pupils to make career choices based on God-given talents, not because of family values or societal influence.

    There was excitement when Etisalat rewarded all winners of competitions with prizes, including laptops and HP printers.

    The competitions included mental exercises like spelling bee and inter-school debates. The students also watched a performance by Nigerian singer and producer, DJ Zeez and Sean Tizzle.

    The sponsors have lined up two more career counseling sessions for Lagos to hold in Surulere and Lagos Island later in the year.

     

  • Don seeks revival of counselling centres

    Authorities of universities in Nigeria have been advised to rejuvenate their counselling centres to address examination malpractices and other vices.

    The call was made recently by a professor of Guidance and Counselling, University of Ibadan (UI), Elizabeth Emeke, during her inaugural lecture entitled: Psychology in evaluation and the evaluation in psychology: The experiences of a counsellor-evaluator delivered at the Trenchard Hall of the university.

    She said:”This becomes imperative in view of the role the centre can play in curbing examination malpractices and the effects on the society”.

    Noting that examination malpractice had become a hydra-headed monster that has eaten deep into the fabrics of the society, she said the role of the counsellor in addressing the challenge cannot be over-emphasised.

    The counselling centre, according to her, should be well-staffed and equipped to help students. She stressed that it should provide training on self awareness, life skills and values, which should be made mandatory in the first year.

    She said: “The course will help students acquire understanding of self-knowledge, boost self esteem and unlock hidden potentials.”